Electrical tab connector



SCP- 22, 1970 w. R. scHELLER 3,530,429

ELECTRICAL TAB CONNECTOR Filed June 14. 196s 3,530,429 ELECTRICAL TAB CNNECTOR Wilfred Richard Schaller, New Cumberland, Pa., assignor to AMP Incorporated, Harrisburg, Pa. Filed June 14, 1968, Ser. No. 738,377 lint. Ci. H01r 9/16 US. Cl. 339-217 7 Claims ABSTRACT F THE DSCLOSURE An electrical tab connector comprises a contact section provided with an outer fiat portion for engagement with a complementary receptacle and a securing portion for securing the tab connector in a passageway of a housing. The securing portion having lug means extending outwardly from one or both surfaces of the securing portion and depressions extending outwardly from one surface of the securing portion and along the peripheral edges thereof in a rearward direction from the contact section and a spring lance struck out from the securing portion between the depressions.

This invention relates to electrical connectors and more particularly to electrical tab connectors for securing in passageways of housings.

Heretofore, tab connectors have been secured in passageways of housings in accordance with one approach by lugs extending outwardly from opposing sides of the tab connectors and a spring lance struck out therefrom. Another approach is to make the contact portion of less width than the portion from which the spring lance is struck out thereby providing stepped sections.

These conventional approaches to secure tab connectors in housing passageways accomplish the intended result so long as there is no space requirement, i.e. the passageways can be wide enough to accommodate the lugs or the wide part of the tab connectors. If the passageways have a width the same width as the tab connectors in order to increase density, the heretofore described tab connectors are not useable in such passageways due to the lugs and increased width of the portion having the struck-out lance. If the width of the tab from which the lance is struck is narrow, then the tab along this area is weakened.

The present invention overcomes the drawbacks of providing tabs of a width for use in high density applications wherein the tabs are provided with a spring lance in a narrow part of the tabs and this part is provided with depressions therealong to strengthen this part due to the spring lance being struck out therefrom and these depressions also form stop means for limiting movement of the tab in a passageway in one direction therein while the spring lance limits movement in another direction.

An object of the invention is to provide a tab connector having a spring lance struck out from an area thereof and means along this area to strengthen this area.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a tab connector having a work-hardened area to increase the strength along this area so as to strike out therefrom a spring lance means.

A further object of the invention is to provide a tab connector having a securing portion which has a spring lance struck out therefrom and depressions provided in the securing portion along each side of the spring lance strengthening this portion as well as providing at leading ends thereof part of a stop means.

An additional object of the invention is the provision of a tab connector wherein the securing portion has lugs at the leading end thereof to form a forward stop means.

Other objects and attainments of the present invention nited States Patent 3,539,429 Patented Sept. 22, 1970 ICC will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon a reading of the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the drawings in which there are shown and described illustrative embodiments of the invention; it is to be understood, however, that these embodiments are not intended to be exhaustive nor limiting of the invention but are given for purposes of illustration in order that others skilled in the art may fully understand the invention and the principles thereof and the manner of applying it in practical use so that they may modify it in various forms, each as may be best suited to the conditions of a particular use.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an electrical tab connector;

FIG. 2 is a view taken along lines 2-2 of FIG. l;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a housing with connectors of FIG. l in position therein;

FIG. 4 is a View taken along lines `4 4 of FIG. 3;

FlG. 5 is a perspective view of an alternative embodiment of the tab connector;

FIG. 6 is a view taken along lines 6-6 of FIG. 5; and

FIGS. 7 and 8 are views similar to FIG. 6 illustrating further embodiments of the tab connector.

Turning now to the drawings and more particularly FIGS. 1 through 4, an electrical tab connector TC comprises a contact section 1, a securing section 2 and a ferrule section 3. Contact section 1 is of planar configuration having a tapered nose 4 to facilitate installation into the housing and engagement with a mateable electrical connector (not shown).

Securing section 2 includes lugs 5 and 6 which are formed as projections from respective sides of the connector and then bent back over one of the surfaces of securing section 2 at the leading end thereof. Lugs 5 and 6 may be of such length so that the free ends terminate at the opposite side or adjacent longitudinal center line of the connector or the free ends of the lugs can be shorter and terminate outwardly from the center line as well as being slightly spaced above the surface over which they extend. Depressions 7 are formed in the surface against which lugs 5 and 6 are bent into engagement to thereby form projections 8 extending outwardly from the other surface of securing section 2 from the leading edges of lugs 5 and 6 to a position adajcent ferrule section 3. A spring lance 9 is struck out from securing section 2 between depressions 7 to provide a back stop means engageable with shoulder means 10` in passageways 11 in dielectric housing H to prevent the tab connectors from being withdrawn from the passageways unless spring lances 9 are moved free of shoulder means 10 by inserting an extraction tool within openings 12 at the front end of housing H in alignment with shoulder means 10.

Lugs 5 and 6 and the leading edges of projections 8,

, which are located at the forward surfaces of lugs 5 and 6, provide forward stop means for engagement with surfaces 13 to limit movement of the tab connectors within passageways 11. Contact sections 1 are disposed in opposing channels 14 located in extensions 15 which extend outwardly from the front of housing H. Extensions 1S are provided with tapered surfaces 16 to facilitate engagement of the mateable electrical connectors onto contact sections 1.

Shoulder means 10 extend toward each other from opposing surfaces of passageways 11 so that tab connectors TC can be positioned in passageways 11 in either direction there-by precluding orientation problems.

Depressions 7 work harden the securing section along which spring lance 9 is formed thereby strengthening the securing section as well as providing part of the forward stop means via the leading edges of projections 8. The same is also true with respect to the e-mbodiment of FIG. 8 wherein the leading edges of projections `8a provide part of the forward stop means while lugs a and 6a provide the other part of the forward stop means, but, as can be discerned, lugs 5a and 6a are not bent into engagement with one of the surfaces of securing section 2a but extend outwardly therefrom at substantially right angles thereto and they are not as long as lugs 5 and 6.

Ferrule section 3 is crimped onto the conductive portion and insulation of electrical conductor 17 by conventional crimping techniques but conductor 17 can, of course, be connected to section 3 by any other suitable manner.

FIG. 5 and 6 illustrate tab connector TCb which is a further embodiment of the invention and this type connector has lug 5b bent into engagement with one surface of securing section 2b while lug 6b is bent into engagement with an opposite surface to provide forward stop means instead of extending depressions 7b to the leading edges of lugs 5b and 6b. The same is true in tab connector TCC which is an additional embodiment illustrated in FIG. 7 wherein depressions 7c do not extend to the leading edges of lugs 5c and 6c and these lugs are similar to lugs 5a and 6a of IFIG. 8 except that they extend in opposite directions.

The connectors disclosed herein are susceptible to mass production by automatic machinery and they are conveniently formed by shaping a sheet metal blank or strip of a suitable electrically conductive metal such as brass, bronze or the like in successive forming steps. The metal is sufficiently hard and resilient to impart to the connection area a spring-like character, yet it is sufliciently malleable to permit cold-forging or crimping of the ferrule section onto a conductor to provide an excellent electrical and mechanical connection. The provision of depressions 7 along the securing section is an important feature in view of the fact that this section is strengthened thereby permitting spring lance 9 to be struck out from this narrow section without reducing the strength characteristics thereof.

It will, therefore, be appreciated that the aforementioned and other desirable objects have been achieved; however, it should be emphasized that the particular embodiments of the invention, which are shown and described herein, are intended as merely illustrative and not as restrictive of the invention.

The invention is claimed in accordance with the following:

In the claims:

1. An electrical connector comprising a contact section` and conductor-engaging section, said contact section including an outer contact-engaging portion for ele-ctrical engagement with a complementary electrical connector and a securing portion for securing the connector in a passageway provided with forward and rear stops of a housing, integral lug means at a forward end of said securing portion, longitudinal depressions provided in one surface of said securing portion, said depressions extending along and adjacent outer edges of said securing portion from said forward end of said securing portion to a point adjacent said conductor-engaging section and prorviding projections extending outwardly from anothersurface of said contact section opposite said one surface thereby strengthening said securing portion therealong, said lug means at the forward end of said securing section defining lug members extending outwardly from said one and another surfaces of said securing portion in opposite directions, forward edges of said lug members providing first stop means for engagement with the forward stop of the housing passageway to limit movement of the connector in one direction along the passageway, and spring lance means struck out from said securing portion between said depressions for engagement with the rear stop of the housing passageway to limit movement of the connector in a direction opposite to the one direction opposite to the one direction along the passageway.

2. An electrical connector according to claim 1 wherein said lug means extend over respective ones of said surfaces and in engagement therewith.

3. An electrical connector according to claim 1 wherein said lug members extend outwardly at substantially right angles from each of the surfaces.

4. An electrical connector comprising a contact section and a conductor-engaging section, said contact section including an outer contact-engaging portion for electrical engagement with a complementary electrical connector and a securing portion for securing the connector in a passageway provided with forward and rear stops of a housing, integral lug means at a forward end of said securing portion, longitudinal depressions provided in one surface of said securing portion, said depressions extending along and adjacent outer edges of said securing portion from said forward end of said securing portion to a point adjacent said -conductor-engaging section and providing projections extending outwardly from another surface of said contact section opposite said one surface thereby strengthening said securing portion therealong, said lug means extending outwardly from one of said surfaces, said projections having leading edges at forward edges of said lug means and extending outwardly from another surface opposite the one surface from which said leg means extend, said forward edges of said lug means and said leading edges of said projections being located in a plane extending substantially normal with respect to a longitudinal axis of said connector thereby providing first stop means for engagement with the forward stop of the housing passageway to limit movement of the connector in one direction along the passageway, and spring lance means struck out from said securing portion between said depressions for engagement with the rear stop of the housing passageway to limit movement of the connector in a direction opposite to the one direction along the passageway.

5. An electrical connector according to claim 4 wherein said lug means extend over and in engagement with the one of said surfaces.

6. An electrical connector according to claim 4 Wherein said lug means extend outwardly from sides of said securing portion and substantially normal thereto.

7. An electrical connector comprising, in combination, a dielectric housing and an electrical terminal, said housing having a passage-way, forward stop and rear stop means axially spaced from said forward stop means in said pass# ageway, said electrical terminal positioned in said passageway and having a contact section and a conductor-engaging section, said contact section including an outer contactengagin'g portion for electrical engagement with a complementary electrical connector and a securing portion securing said terminal in said passageway, integral lug means at a forward end of said securing portion, longitudinal depressions provided in one surface of said securing portion, said depressions extending along and adjacent outer edges of said securing portion from said forward end of said securing portion to a point adjacent said conductorengaging section and providing projections extending outwardly from another surface of said contact section opposite said one surface thereby strengthening said securing portion therealong, said lug means extending outwardly from one of said surfaces, said projections having leading edges at forward edges of said lug means and extending outwardly from another surface, said forward edges of said lug means and said leading edges of said projections being located in a plane extending substantially normal with respect to a longitudinal axis of said connector thereby providing first stop means for engagement with said forward stop means of said housing passageway to limit movement of the connector in one direction along the passageway, and spring lance 5 means struck out from said securing section between said depressions for engagement with said rear stop means of said housing passageway to limit movement of the connector in a direction oppoite to the one direction along the passageway.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS Johnson 339-258 X Jackson et al 339-17 X Hopkins 339--217 Hopkins et a1 339--217 Churla 339-217 X Fox 339-217 RICHARD E. MOORE, Primary Examiner Patent No. 3,530LLL29 Dated september 22, 1970 Inventor-(S) WILFRED RICHARD SCHELLER It is certified that error appears in the above-identified patent and that said Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below:

Column LI, line 3, delete "opposite to the one direction" Column 1|., line 28, after "from" (second usage) insert the Column S, line M., "oppote" should read opposite SIGNED RWD QEALED ma 24%@ mmnmsawmn. L lstmg Officer @omissione'r of Pam J AMP 2884 

